The Buzz - GM News - July 2014

Z/28 Battles GT-R & 911 Turbo S—and wins!

Our colleagues over at Motor Trend matched up a brand new 2014 Z/28 against a GT-R Track Edition and the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S for a three-way battle. As it turns out, the Z/28’s performance isn’t just media hype, courtesy of GM. Thanks to the 15-inch carbon ceramic Brembos, those super wide 305 mm tires (at all four corners), and that magnificent DSSV suspension system, the $75,000 Camaro outpaced the $118,000 Nissan and $200,000 Porsche 911 Turbo S around the 2.27-mile Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. By how much? The Z clicked off a 1:36.17, compared to the GT-R’s 1:36.34, and the 911’s 1:36.45. Nothing drastic, but enough to claim top honors. Motor Trend reports that they’ll be comparing a 2015 Nismo GT-R, and a Porsche 911 GT3 against our favorite track car at the Laguna Seca circuit later this year. We wait for the outcome of that with great anticipation! In the meantime, you can read about this battle in the May 2014 issue of Motor Trend, or head over to their website at MotorTrend.com for the full story.

GM Releasing Eleven New Engine Variants by 2017

With the ever-increasing fuel economy restrictions, you can expect engines to get smaller and more efficient—at least for your basic commuter cars. General Motors has recently announced their new “modular” Ecotec engine family that will range from 1.0-1.5L in size. Yes, we said one-liter. Apparently they’re developing a 1.0L 3-cylinder turbo engine that will power the Opel ADAM in Europe, and updated versions of the 1.4L turbo and 1.5L engines that will find their way into the next generation Chevy Cruze, due out for the 2015 model year. These new engines will deliver more refinement, efficiency, and less noise intensity that Volkswagen’s EA211 1.4L four-cylinder and Ford’s 1.0L turbocharged three-cylinder. These engines will be manufactured at several locations all over the world, but only for their respective zone. So fear not Americans, your 2015 Cruze will be equipped with an engine manufactured right here in North America. Learn more by going to: media.gm.com/GM-EcotecFamily.

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GMHTP Gone Digital

We hear it all of the time: When is GM High-Tech Performance going strictly digital? The answer? Not for the foreseeable future. Truth is, we still have hundreds of thousands of readers every month waiting by their mailbox, eagerly, for their latest editions of their favorite all late-model GM publication, and we have zero plans to change that anytime soon. Does that mean we’re stuck in 1999? Absolutely not, but if you don’t want your back issues stacking up all over your shop floor, you can get your GMHTP fix digitally from several places, including; Zinio, iTunes, Barnes and Noble Nook, and Amazon’s Kindle. We’re also striving vigorously to bring you up-to-the-minute, exclusive online content that you’ll actually want to read about at GMHighTechPerformance.com, unlike some other “publications.” No sneak peeks of the new Nissan Cube, no LS-swapped Yugos. Just badass, hardcore, GM EFI content from 3rd-Gen IROC Camaros to the C7 Z06. Don’t forget to also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and naturally, Twitter, for constant news updates, and the chance to interact with the GMHTP staff in real time! Stay tuned for updates on our YouTube channel as well for killer build videos, and much more, at: YouTube.com/user/GMHighTechMag—and don’t forget to subscribe!